Musical instrument



A. G. FOLSOM Dec MUSICAL I'NSTRUMENT Filed March 12. 1923 Patentecl Dec. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADELBER-T G. FOLSOM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; ROBERT W. FOLSO'M ADMINISTRATOR OF SAID ADELBERT G. FOLSOM, DECESED.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Application filed March 12, 1923. Serial No. 624,573.

T 0 all 107mm t may concerto:

Be it known that I, ADELBERT G. FoLsoM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improven'ients in Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stringed musical instrumcnts of the harp type, and its object is to provide an instrument of this kind embodying certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described in detail, and also to provide a mechanism for simultaneously relieving the strings of tension when the instrument is not to be played.

The objects stated are attained by means of a combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed and in order that the same may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing, wherein-- Figure l is an elevation of the instrument, partly in section;

Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged sections on the lines 2-2 and 3-8, respectively, of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is an end view of the sound chamber showing a sound modifying means.

Referring specifically to the drawng, the instrument has two vertically spread sounding chambers 5 and 6, which are rigidly connected at their ends by posts 7. These posts are tubular and they open at their ends into the respective sounding chambers. The strings 8 are stretched between the chambers 5 and 6 and extend thereinto for connection to certain supports which will now be described.

In the lower chamber 5, on the bottom thereof, is rigidly mounted a longitudinally extending rail 9 fitted with ordinary tuning pins or pegs 12 to which the lower ends of the strings 8 are connected in the usual manner. In order that access may be had to the pegs 12 for tuning the strings 8, the chamber' 5 is provided with a door 13 held closed by a suitable catch 14-. The strings 8 issue from the top of the chamber' 5 through an opening therein and thence extend upwardly to the chamber 6.

In the top chamber 6 is located a longitudinal rail 15 having its bottom fitted with hoolrs or similar devices 16 to which the upper ends of the strings 8 are anchored,

The rail 15 is provided with upstanding stems 19 near its ends which pass loosely through apertures in the top of the chamber G, and on the outside of the latter, the stems are connected to the cam-shaped ends 20 of levers 21, the connection being made by pivot pins 22 passing transversely through the stems and the cam ends of the levers, said lever ends being forked to straddle the stems. The arrangement of the levers v21 is such that when they are swung downwardly, their cam ends 20, by engagement with the top of the chamber 6, cause the rail 15 to be drawn upwardly to seat tightly against the top of said chamber, whereas when the levers are swung upwardly, the rail 15 is free to move downwardly, such movement of the rail serving to simultaneously relieve all the strings of tension. The last-described operation will usually be resorted to when the instrument is not in use, for the purpose of preventing breakage of the strings.

The chamber 5 is rectangular or otherwise shaped so that it may have a flat bottom for supporting the instrument in upright position. The top chamber can be made cylindrical as shown.

V The instrument is played in substantially the same manner as a harp, and its tone is strong and clear, due to the two sounding chambers 5 and 6, and the tubular connections 7 therebetween.

The sound chambers 5 and 6 are provided with openings 23 at one end Controlled by dampers 211 for the purpose of modifying the sound.

I claim:

1. In a musical instrument, a plurality of strings, supports for the ends of the strings, one of said supports being' a movablc rail, a chamber enclosing the rail, stems extending from the rail and projecting from the chamber, and levers having cam ends pivotally connected to the projecting ends of the stems and engageable with the wall of the chamber.

2. A musical instrument comprising a and entering the chambers, a rigid rail in one of the chambers and provided with tuning;l means to which the strings are connected at one of their ends, a movable rail in the other Chamber to which the strings are anchored at their other ends, stems ex tcnding from the movab1e rail and projecting from the last-mentioned Chamber, and levers having cam ends pivotally connected to the px'ojecting ends of the stems and engageable with the wall of said Chamber.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ADELBERT G. F'oLSoM. 

